Berkeley County schools going to the Watch DOGS

October 30, 2013

HEDGESVILLE - There wasn't a huge crowd when the Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) program was introduced last week at Hedgesville High School, but organizers were "absolutely thrilled" that all 18 fathers at the session also signed up to participate.

That's especially impressive since the program has never been offered at a state high school, said coordinator Jodi Westrope.

"This is a first for us and West Virginia. It's also exciting that the first of these Watch DOGS will be coming to the high school on Friday, and I've heard at least a couple of other men are interested in getting registered too," she said.

Article Photos

Journal photos by Jenni Vincent

The Watch DOGS program is growing in Berkeley County schools and this fall is expanding into Martinsburg and Hedgesville High. Eagle School Intermediate program coordinator Helen Colburn likes to put a personal touch on her school’s program, including the vests she stenciled to be used by participants.

A Watch DOG signs up for the program.

Already successfully implemented at nine Berkeley County schools, Martinsburg High will soon be added to that growing list, Westrope said.

An introductory session will be held Nov. 13 at Martinsburg High's cafeteria from 6 to 7 p.m., she said.

Now seven years old, the program is a way to include positive male figures - including fathers, uncles, grandfathers and stepfathers - into student's lives. While at the schools, participants help with bus duty, walk hallways and also interact with youngsters along the way.

The county program garnered national attention earlier this year on "The Today Show," when NBC journalist Matt Lauer visited locally to learn more about it. Filming took place in January at Orchard View Intermediate, Hedgesville Middle and Berkeley Heights Elementary so that fathers and students could share their experience, Westrope said.

Wayne Coleman eagerly chose and marked dates- on a large calendar that had been placed on a cafeteria table - that he'd be able to spend at Hedgesville High as part of the innovative program.

Coleman, who previously participated when his daughter attended Orchard View Intermediate, said he'd "gotten to know a lot of students and they also got to know me. It was nice getting to help some of them with math problems and read with them a little bit."

Moving from lower grades up to the high school level is a big step forward, said HHS assistant principal Bill Fultineer, who talked to audience members as they munched on pizza and watched a video about the program.

Now in his fourth year after getting involved when his daughter was in elementary school, Fultineer said the basic idea is "to get dads more involved in their kids' lives."

Not unlike others, Fultineer said he also enjoys being a familiar face - and sometimes, friend - to youngsters who may not have anyone else in their lives.

"Many kids need some attention, and it is a lot of fun being there for them. It's hard to believe, but some kids just have no one," he said.

At this advanced academic level, participants aren't coming to the high schools to "be a warden or chase skippers," Fultineer said.

"We're here to give them a boost of confidence. You'll be part of the Hedgesville family when you get here," he said.

Junior Brittany Doyle, who helped other leadership students set up for the meeting, smiled as she recalled having her father at Hedgesville Middle School - days when they would share lunch during his visits. However, she also acknowledged it may be a little different this time around since he'll be visiting a more grown-up setting.

"All my friends always like my mom and dad, so it is great to have him around. And it was also nice for them and other students he got to know. I honestly don't know what I would do without my parents, so it must be horrible to be in the position of basically being alone," she said.

"I also think it's important to try this here, because high school is definitely a lot more stressful than middle school," she said.

Already wearing his new Watch DOGS T-shirt, James "J.D." Doyle was looking forward to getting back into the program.

"It might be a little tougher at the high school level, but I also think this is actually where you need it - maybe even a little bit more than at the middle school. Because teenagers can tend to be a little more rambunctious and just have more energy to let out, but they can also use some attention, too. And I'm really sure it will make a difference here," he said.

Hedgesville Middle School Principal Elizabeth Adams has seen the value of the program as it provides a bond between youngsters and participants.

"It's an especially great way to get dads involved," she said, adding that her school now has more than 100 men involved in the program. They help in a variety of ways ranging from early-morning bus duty to volunteering to chaperone events such as dances for the school's sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students, she said.

Now in its sixth year, Hedgesville Middle was the first middle school in the state to offer the program and it continues to thrive, Adams said.

"I think when you walk in the front door and see our Watch DOGS "Hall of Fame Wall," that pretty well says it all," she said.

People are also passionate about the program at Eagle School Intermediate, according to coordinator Helen Colburn, a third-grade teacher who felt strongly about getting it established in 2010.

A kickoff party held earlier this month attracted approximately 250 people, she said, adding that 35 pizzas had been ordered to accommodate the crowd.

"We are very excited because about 35 men have already signed up for dates in the coming school year," Colburn said. Eagle School has approximately 350 students in third through fifth grade, she said.

Colburn takes her school's program personally, right down to adding special touches aimed at making participants feel special and appreciated.

For example, she baked for the kickoff event and even hand stenciled the vests which volunteers wear while helping at the school.

"It's important that our program be as open and inclusive as possible. So I thought by having these vests in different sizes, there wouldn't be the expense of volunteers having to purchase something," Colburn said. She's also designed and had special labels printed - a kind of "paws" nametag - to be used by participants.

"This is our official dog tag. The kids and the men get a kick out of how we do things here, which is part of the fun," she said with a smile.